Lead CET Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure Lead CET as its own occupation, so this page uses Maintenance and Repair Workers, General (SOC 49-9071, broader occupation). The median annual wage in the United States was $49,590 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $40,840 to $62,620.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
Broader occupation
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
National pay range
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,350 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $40,840 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $49,590 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $62,620 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $77,180 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $53,780 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $19.64 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $23.84 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $30.1 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $37.11 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $25.86 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages include: base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. What they leave out: overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, United States. View this release at BLS.
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $49,590 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 0.97 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Pay in industries that hire this occupation
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 12,240 | 0.8% | $57,470 | $46,900 to $71,050 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 8,280 | 0.5% | $52,430 | $44,560 to $63,440 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 5,530 | 0.4% | $56,790 | $47,380 to $63,750 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 5,090 | 0.3% | $50,660 | $43,150 to $63,270 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 4,850 | 0.3% | $60,870 | $47,450 to $77,160 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 3,880 | 0.3% | $51,310 | $43,660 to $64,260 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 3,760 | 0.2% | $89,100 | $70,240 to $104,350 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 3,440 | 0.2% | $62,240 | $49,090 to $78,040 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | 3,060 | 0.2% | $59,680 | $45,270 to $76,840 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423400 | 2,830 | 0.2% | $54,300 | $46,880 to $62,820 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | 2,590 | 0.2% | $64,380 | $52,760 to $74,340 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 1,980 | 0.1% | $55,840 | $43,910 to $67,920 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 1,790 | 0.1% | $51,050 | $44,620 to $62,840 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | 1,210 | 0.1% | $68,760 | $46,820 to $83,210 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 960 | 0.1% | $60,420 | $45,760 to $75,310 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | 740 | 0.0% | $73,860 | $63,330 to $81,070 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 237130 | 690 | 0.0% | $55,360 | $45,600 to $64,850 |
These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.
Pay in target metros
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $57,240 | $45,960 to $69,470 | 23,100 | 0.75 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $48,860 | $40,030 to $60,940 | 39,740 | 1 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $48,930 | $42,210 to $62,360 | 26,350 | 1.13 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $49,630 | $43,680 to $61,820 | 25,190 | 0.89 |
| Columbus, OH | $52,800 | $45,870 to $63,410 | 10,970 | 1.01 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $58,020 | $45,070 to $72,100 | 45,710 | 1.03 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $63,220 | $51,550 to $80,120 | 7,750 | 0.69 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $58,760 | $47,420 to $69,010 | 8,860 | 0.74 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Highest and lowest paying metros
Ranked by published median annual wage among 393 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $63,980 | 1,350 | 1.86 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $63,630 | 18,550 | 0.79 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $63,220 | 7,750 | 0.69 |
| 4 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $62,520 | 380 | 1.06 |
| 5 | Sheboygan, WI | $62,410 | 760 | 1.28 |
| 6 | Napa, CA | $61,860 | 830 | 1.09 |
| 7 | Vallejo, CA | $61,400 | 1,190 | 0.84 |
| 8 | Decatur, IL | $61,380 | 1,350 | 3.02 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $60,760 | 17,790 | 0.87 |
| 10 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $60,470 | 18,090 | 0.94 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 384 | Laredo, TX | $36,700 | 900 | 0.83 |
| 385 | Beckley, WV | $36,670 | 570 | 1.33 |
| 386 | Eagle Pass, TX | $35,780 | 260 | 1.43 |
| 387 | Hot Springs, AR | $34,190 | 410 | 1.08 |
| 388 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $23,450 | 9,010 | 1.33 |
| 389 | Arecibo, PR | $23,440 | 470 | 1.38 |
| 390 | Guayama, PR | $23,220 | 310 | 2.54 |
| 391 | Aguadilla, PR | $22,600 | 780 | 1.62 |
| 392 | Ponce, PR | $22,330 | 1,080 | 1.72 |
| 393 | Mayaguez, PR | $22,040 | 620 | 1.2 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Where pay is highest relative to local wages
This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee, IL | $58,400 | $45,830 | 1.27 times | 520 | 1.24 |
| Twin Falls, ID | $56,010 | $45,400 | 1.23 times | 640 | 1.29 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $57,470 | $47,030 | 1.22 times | 980 | 1.32 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $59,200 | $48,470 | 1.22 times | 520 | 1.09 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $59,590 | $48,990 | 1.22 times | 2,740 | 0.96 |
| Kenosha, WI | $58,740 | $48,310 | 1.22 times | 840 | 1.13 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $57,420 | $47,350 | 1.21 times | 830 | 1.55 |
| Lima, OH | $57,180 | $47,170 | 1.21 times | 620 | 1.25 |
| Monroe, LA | $46,140 | $38,150 | 1.21 times | 1,200 | 1.39 |
| Columbus, IN | $58,450 | $48,470 | 1.21 times | 610 | 1.25 |
| Sheboygan, WI | $62,410 | $51,890 | 1.20 times | 760 | 1.28 |
| Merced, CA | $56,700 | $47,220 | 1.20 times | 930 | 1.19 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $57,590 | $48,070 | 1.20 times | 1,500 | 1.19 |
| Decatur, IL | $61,380 | $51,290 | 1.20 times | 1,350 | 3.02 |
| Toledo, OH | $57,170 | $48,220 | 1.19 times | 3,640 | 1.27 |
| Gadsden, AL | $43,410 | $36,660 | 1.18 times | 280 | 0.87 |
| Modesto, CA | $59,650 | $50,610 | 1.18 times | 1,660 | 0.86 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $58,900 | $50,000 | 1.18 times | 1,820 | 1.48 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $55,670 | $47,540 | 1.17 times | 740 | 1.25 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | $56,610 | $48,390 | 1.17 times | 770 | 1.12 |
| Green Bay, WI | $58,080 | $49,940 | 1.16 times | 1,910 | 1.11 |
| Appleton, WI | $57,420 | $49,910 | 1.15 times | 1,340 | 1.1 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $45,660 | $39,740 | 1.15 times | 620 | 1.12 |
| Mankato, MN | $56,690 | $49,530 | 1.14 times | 630 | 1.14 |
| Wausau, WI | $55,650 | $48,790 | 1.14 times | 830 | 1.21 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 49-9071 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $48,620 |
| May 2025 | $49,590 |
| Difference | +$970 (+2.0%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For an operations offer, check what the quoted pay already includes. BLS includes on-call pay but excludes shift differentials. Do not add on-call pay twice when comparing the offer.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call pay matters here | Included | BLS lists "on-call pay" and "hazardous-duty pay" as wages. |
| Overtime pay | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Questions
What is the median pay for Lead CET?
The BLS median annual wage for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General nationally is $49,590 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most Lead CET earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $40,840 to $62,620, and 10% earned less than $35,350.
Is this the exact job title?
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
How many people are employed in this occupation?
BLS estimates 1,529,700 jobs nationally in Maintenance and Repair Workers, General across all industries.
What do BLS wages leave out?
They leave out overtime, shift differentials, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation. Base pay, guaranteed pay, on-call pay and production-based incentive pay are included.
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for Lead CET: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring Lead CET?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
What the published rows say about Lead CET pay in the United States
Lead CET pay in the United States is represented here by Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, SOC 49-9071, in the May 2025 OEWS release. For Lead CET pay in the United States, data Center Headhunters uses the broader crosswalk for this title; the occupation row, rather than a separate survey of Lead CET, supplies the figures on this page. For Lead CET pay in the United States, the published annual median is $49,590 and the middle-half endpoints are $40,840 and $62,620.
The Lead CET pay in the United States middle-half band spans $21,780 on the annual basis. For Lead CET pay in the United States, its lower quarter-to-median distance is $8,750, compared with $13,030 from the median to the upper quarter. For Lead CET pay in the United States, the upper interval is at least as wide as the other interval in this row. For Lead CET pay in the United States, for an offer against this Lead CET crosswalk, these are published reference points, not experience grades; the width does not establish a reason for differences between individual workers.
Lead CET pay in the United States can also be compared with New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where the annual median for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General is $59,550 in May 2025. For Lead CET pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Lead CET pay in the United States, the Lead CET crosswalk comparison differs by $9,960 from the the United States median.
Lead CET pay in the United States can also be compared with Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, where the annual median for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General is $56,520 in May 2025. For Lead CET pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Lead CET pay in the United States, the Lead CET crosswalk comparison differs by $6,930 from the the United States median.
Lead CET pay in the United States has no local industry-by-occupation wage breakdown in the loaded OEWS rows. For Lead CET pay in the United States, the highest published national industry medians loaded for SOC 49-9071 are Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation at $100,550 and Nuclear Electric Power Generation at $99,200. For Lead CET pay in the United States, these May 2025 observations describe the national Maintenance and Repair Workers, General occupation in those industries, not the pay of data center employers in the United States; they cannot support a local industry ranking.
The Lead CET pay in the United States matched median changed from $48,620 in May 2024 to $49,590 in May 2025, a difference of $970 up. For Lead CET pay in the United States, both observations use SOC 49-9071, area code 99 and the same annual wage basis. For Lead CET pay in the United States, this Lead CET comparison reports the released values without adjusting for inflation, annualizing the change or attributing it to a particular employer.
Lead CET pay in the United States uses the OEWS straight-time wage definition, not a complete cost-to-employ budget. For Lead CET pay in the United States, for an offer mapped to Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, separate overtime, shift differentials and expense reimbursements from the annual figures for the United States; BLS excludes those categories. For Lead CET pay in the United States, on-call pay, guaranteed pay and production incentives are included under the wage definition. For Lead CET pay in the United States, no Lead CET-specific per diem, travel allowance or relocation amount is observed in this row, so this May 2025 page adds no dollar allowance on top.
Questions about Lead CET pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports Lead CET pay in the United States?
Lead CET is mapped to SOC 49-9071, Maintenance and Repair Workers, General; the May 2025 the United States annual median is $49,590. The mapping is broader, not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the the United States figure show all offer costs for Lead CET?
Lead CET pay in the United States uses straight-time OEWS wages. Overtime and shift differentials are excluded; on-call and guaranteed pay are included. No allowance for travel or relocation is added to this 49-9071 observation.
- lead cet new york newark jersey city ny nj
- lead cet los angeles long beach anaheim ca
- lead cet
- lead cet
- methodology
Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.